You need to understand events and the times. I was just riding through the area in Colorado in 1887 when I came upon the small ranch a few miles from the mountains on the Eastern sloop. It was pretty run down. Looking like someone was hanging on but about finished. I decided to see if the people who lived there were taking visitors.
When I rode up a young man of around ten greeted me.
"Lite and set Mister. Ma was about to put food on the table. We ain't got much but you are welcome."
Now I had looked around before I went down there and I could tell these folks didn't have much. It looked like there was a lack of male help on the ranch. They were doing the best they could but just getting by almost. My pack horse was well stocked and I never went to sit down at someone's table when I could add to the fixins.
I had killed a deer a few miles back and had the best cuts still packed away on the horse too. As I loosened the pack I grabbed a big part of that deer and a few other things I guessed they were very short of and lay them near the door. I unsaddled my horse and pulled the pack off the pack horse.
I walked them east of the house to a patch of good grass and picketed them there. As I walked back I was met by the young man and a couple year younger girl.
"Ma says you can wash up by the door mister she is fixing what we got and it will be ready soon."
"There is a pile of fixins by the door young man if you would carry them in to your Mom I want to add to the meal."
As I washed up by the door the kids carried the pile of stuff I had laid out for them inside. I was just finishing up when a young woman stuck her head out and invited me in. As I sat down at her table she, did look full on at me.
"Mister, you looked us over when you rode in just now and you can see we are hard put out. You know we don't have much. Fact is my husband left us near two years ago and we are about done. You don't need to share all this with us."
"Mam I got plenty, and when I do, I share. You go on and use it and I will be great full of anything I didn't cook myself."
As she was finishing up the meal it gave me a chance to look her over good and for the life of me I could not understand why a man would leave a very good looking woman and two nice kids like these. I ate what she'd put on my plate and enjoyed the best meal I'd had in months.
When we had finished she sent the kids out to play and as she cleaned up she talked.
"Fact is Mister, we are about to give it up and move in town. I have a job and have found a place the kids can help out and stay."
"You won't be staying with the kids?"
"There isn't room where they will be staying and I have sleeping room where I will work."
"What about your ranch Mam?"
"We just planned to let the livestock loose I guess. We only have six cows and a young bull the few chickens left will learn to make it or they won't? We had to eat most of them and all the ducks."
"If you are leaving Mam would you mind if I took over for you and see if we can make this pay for you?"
"I couldn't ask you to do that Mister. If this job works out I doubt we will be coming back."
"Name is Jacob mam, and you ain't ask I am offering. I am looking for a place to settle for a spell."
" I get to putting some back from my job I maybe could give you a bit of money to work with, but it will be some time."
We talked for sometime about things that needed done that she just couldn't have done. And we made a deal I would stay when she and the kids moved into town. Her name was Millie Young and Bobby was her boy, Billy Sue her girl. I then ask the big question.
"Your job in town?"
"You know where my job in town is Jacob."